I can not say enough about this wonderful organization. I have attended various workshops, support…read moregroups and lectures since I was first diagnosed with cancer in 2004. I felt very scared and alone in the beginning but their kind, welcoming ways helped to make me feel that I was not alone. My husband and I have recently attended a few Saturday nutrition and cooking classes. The last two were focused on plant based recipes. The presenters were very informative without being too encyclopedic. And the sample of the dishes were so delish. I have referred others to this group and they too have felt welcomed. All their services are free. They recently (?) added a new building for larger groups. The building also includes a kitchen as well as a few smaller conference room. The only "drawback" is that it is located in Walnut Creek and there is not an easy way to get there by public transportation. It does serve all of Northern California so people sometimes come from great distances. Their class, support group and other events are posted in the calendar section of their website. If you or anyone you know has cancer I heartily recommend the Cancer Support Community.

This has been the very 1st Cancer Support Group that I've ever attended, and I'm very glad that I…read moredid. After attending the "Newcomers Meeting", I immediate had a full appreciation to everything that these support groups does for a community. They have numerous meetings that anyone may attend and they are all completely free to the public. There are always a cancer survivor that is running the group and their stories are extremely inspirational. You will also have the opportunity to meet other people who are currently going through a cancer battle, chemo/radiation treatments, or other supporters & caregivers. Not only is everyone friendly; their stories, tips, advices and experiences are extremely helpful in all aspects. If you are in the need for some encouragements and some advice to help either yourself or for a loved one, I highly recommend attending this Cancer Support Group. I hope I can attend another one really soon.

If you live with a mental illness or care for someone who does, you may feel alone. It is a very…read moredifficult journey. Hopefully you are here looking for ways to connect, and this may be the place for you. NAMI stands for National Alliance on Mental Illness. The Bay Area is blessed with several chapters. They are mostly laypeople who have direct experience, suffering from mental illness, or caring for someone who does. With COVID, the way to connect is through their many Zoom calls. They offer a wide variety of calls. The people who lead the calls are very helpful, and the connections you make will make you feel less lonely. Sometimes you will simply listen, other times folks will reach out to you on the call with a supportive word or valuable information. Hope this is one step to helping you on what is a longer journey.

What an amazing array of supports, resources, services, companionship! PLEASE become a member and…read moresign up for the newsletters--chalk full of gold! DEFinitely take the 12 week Family to Family Class! And NAMI Basics (online or in-person) if you have a kid with mental illness!

Extremely kind and caring staff, they made the environment super comfortable and a safe space to be…read moreyourself!

I started treatment at A Step Forward this past May. I felt…read morean immediate comfort being there, from the welcoming by Diana in the front office, to my primary therapist Caprice Haverty MD. Since working with Caprice, she has enlightened my struggling life, and treats me with care and concern, but moreso, has been recently helping acquire special services with Kaiser Permanente by speaking to certain doctor's on my behalf about needing a 'medically necessary' medication, all the while, while she has been on vacation! And! with her help I was approved to receive the services needed through Kaiser! This is the quality of services you receive from A Step Forward/Caprice Haverty. They care about your well-being and success in life! I look forward to continue working with Caprice and her staff, indefinitely.

Graciela is a wonderful counselor! She was the first counselor we've ever visited and at the…read morebeginning I was a little bit skeptical that a counselor would be able to help us. She spent the first few sessions listening, letting us explain the issues. After a while, she started directing the conversations to the areas that se identified as key. She was impartial, understanding and caring. I remember she would drive the conversation to a place where it didn't seem to matter that much, when all of a sudden she would point out something that you were never aware of and explains how it would impact your spouse. It was amazing! It felt like she knew exactly how to get us out of a very complicated maze. I would recommend her to anyone out there looking for couple's therapy. Graciela is amazing!

Graciela is an absolutely amazing therapist…read more I came to her with a wide set of problems stemming from childhood and a troubled romantic relationship. She works with how we carry trauma in our bodies and while you're expressing your feelings or sharing your story, she'll ask you where you feel any sensations or pain in your body. She'll ask you to sit still and be present in the moment so you can pin point the source of emotional pain. Admittedly, IT'S SO WEIRD to be focus on where you carry emotional pain, but now it's a practice where I can pinpoint actual trauma in my body and I know how to dispose of it. We channeled some deeply rooted trauma out of my body (it was stored in my shoulders) and I've never felt the same. I would refer anyone to her, she's incredible, kind, gentle, and I'm super sad our time has come to an end due to a schedule change within my schedule but go to her! She's absolutely amazing.

Nothing but quality care at this place! The office staff was helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly…read more I recommend this to anyone needing treatment for severe depression.

This past year, I experienced an extremely traumatic family crisis that completely upended my…read moreworld. For months, I struggled with severe anxiety, depression, and debilitating PTSD symptoms. Medication was only helping a little bit, and I didn't want to rely solely on it. I was looking for something that could provide more immediate and lasting relief, which led me to the Brain Wellness Center in San Ramon for TMS treatment. Before beginning treatment, I was in profound distress. I experienced intense visceral emotional reactions and PTSD symptoms that felt overwhelming. My trigger responses were debilitating and sometimes turned violent--I was throwing things, breaking things, and unable to control my rage. The emotional flooding was extreme, often leaving me gasping for air and doubled over in pain. I had strong urges to self-harm and uncontrollable impulses toward physical aggression, which I sometimes acted on. I couldn't engage in any therapeutic work--I couldn't even look at books about my type of trauma without becoming dysregulated. My mind was trapped in constant rumination and obsessive thoughts. The anxiety was so severe that I felt like I was losing myself. After completing 50 sessions of TMS, the transformation has been remarkable. I developed motivation for basic self-care like going to sleep early and taking vitamins--things that felt impossible before. When triggered now, I still feel anger surge through me, but I no longer have the urge to be physically aggressive. I can now engage in therapeutic work, reading books about my trauma and participating in therapy discussions. I still feel discomfort, but it's manageable--not the dysregulating panic I experienced before. I've learned to disengage and down-regulate when triggered. I'm calmer and better able to care for myself instead of drowning in obsessive thoughts. The compulsion toward physical aggression has dramatically decreased. My anxiety is much less intense--I can redirect my attention to self-care, and the upset no longer overwhelms me. Most importantly, I'm no longer on my knees or doubled over in emotional pain. I am able to walk toward healing. The doctors at Brain Wellness Center are truly exceptional. Both Dr. Hashemian and Dr. Palmer are deeply compassionate, excellent listeners, and incredibly knowledgeable--they've been doing this work for decades and are true experts. I felt confident I was in capable hands. What I appreciated most was their honest approach with no sales pressure. They truly want you to make the best choice for you, whether that means working with them or another TMS specialist. They were thorough in their assessments and committed to tracking progress systematically. Week by week, I could literally see the steady decline in my anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms through their comprehensive measurements. The most dramatic improvement was in my anxiety symptoms. I would say that I started feeling really noticeable relief from my symptoms after about 6 sessions. Next to the treatment's effectiveness, I was most impressed with the staff. Mayra, Angelica, Autumn, and Olivia work seamlessly as the techs and coordination team. They are incredibly kind, consistently professional while genuinely warm and caring, and highly skilled. You can tell they're happy in their work environment. They were efficient with scheduling, accommodating with changes, and excellent at follow-through and communication. Appointments always started on time, and the facility was meticulously clean. I felt genuinely taken care of throughout all 50 sessions. TMS at Brain Wellness Center gave me my life back. I went from being unable to function, violent in my reactions, and contemplating self-harm to being able to engage in healing work, regulate my emotions, and move forward with my life. The relief I sought--something more immediate and lasting than medication alone--is exactly what I found. If you're struggling with depression, anxiety, or PTSD, I cannot recommend Brain Wellness Center highly enough. Thank you to Dr. Hashemian, Dr. Palmer, Mayra, Angelica, Autumn, and Olivia for helping me find my way back to myself. The healing journey continues.

Lindsay is a very compassionate, ethical, energetic therapist. Any client is fortunate to work with…read moreher

Lindsay is a compassionate and dedicated therapist. Her clients are very lucky to have her!read more

I went to see Caree Brown as part of a divorce I am going through. I called three different local…read moretherapists and Caree reached out super fast. Caree was able to help me evaluate my past relationship and see things in a different perspective which really helped me get to the other side. I can't praise her enough.

I could not overstate the impact Caree has had on me and my family. While counseling support/advice…read moreis highly personal, I can attest that Caree's philosophy and approach is straightforward, simple in nature and therefore easy to apply. Listening to excellent advice is great, but actually implementing change is transformative. Caree provides easy to understand tools, that apply to real life and can be used anytime and anywhere. Her approach is underwritten by a sincere desire to listen, and allow the individual to fully express themselves before opining on what is to be done. No psychological-speak, Caree makes you comfortable because she is relatable and kind in her approach. Her office is warm and inviting - a place you're always happy to go back to. I highly recommend Caree to anyone and everyone.

Tessa was fantastic. I had a consult regarding a family matter. Her input was invaluable. Had my…read morefamily members been willing we would have taken her on as our counselor for sure. I trust her.

Let me start by saying my sessions with Tessa Barrows was life changing in the best way possible!…read more After making a dozen or so calls to other therapists in the area, the response was I could be put on a waiting list or zoom calls only. Tessa Barrows was the only one who offered to take me on as a client. I went into this with an open mind. She was very easy to open up to and I've always felt she truly wanted to help me deal with my issues. The tools she gave me to help get me through it were simple yet extremely effective. She made me look at things differently. I will be forever grateful what she has done to help. Thank You Tessa Barrows!